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'Really disappointing': NHL faces backlash over record-low Stanley Cup Final viewership and controversial media strategy
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final between Florida and Edmonton saw shockingly low viewership in Canada (Image via Reuters)
Despite high stakes and elite talent on the ice, the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers failed to capture the audience it deserved. Game 6 averaged just 4.327 million viewers across English and French networks in Canada—a shocking drop that marks the lowest viewership for a Game 6 since 1994.
Game 6 ratings hit a historic low as fans blame cable broadcasting, poor promotion, and market mismatch
Braylon Breeze posted on X, 'The 2025 Stanley Cup Final averaged 4.366 million viewers across Canada — down 4% from the first six games of last year's series.' The steep drop in fan engagement has raised serious concerns about the
NHL
's reach and media strategy.
A major point of criticism lies in the league's broadcast partner. The NHL's high-profile media deal with Turner Sports put the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on TNT, a cable network with far less reach than traditional giants like ABC or NBC.
While the deal brought in big money, it arguably cost the NHL millions of casual viewers. 'There's a difference in not being on an ESPN-branded platform,' said Ed Desser, a former NBA executive.
'For better or worse, ESPN is kind of special… it's just a different animal.'
TNT also struggled with ratings in the 2023 Final, while network broadcasts consistently drew larger audiences in other years. Without ESPN or ABC branding, many fans, especially casual ones, didn't even realize where to tune in.
Market mismatch and divided fan bases may have further hurt the numbers
This year's matchup featured only one U.S. team—Florida—while Edmonton represented the Canadian side. While Canada showed up in early games with 4.5 to 4.8 million viewers, American viewership lagged behind. Florida, a small hockey market competing with the nearby Tampa Bay Lightning for fan loyalty, simply couldn't carry national attention on its own.
John Kosner, a former ESPN executive, expressed disappointment, noting the exciting quality of the series. 'I find it really disappointing considering how remarkable the series was last year.' With streaming, digital content, and blockbuster TV as constant competition, Desser warned: 'You're not just competing with what's on TV—you're competing with the best content ever created.'
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